Anyone else ever found their travel plans stopped before they began due to injury?
Well, I thought I had this years travel plans pretty well mapped out, was really looking forward to Bhutan and Nepal, thought I could reschedule a short visit to Sipidan after having a wee bit of trouble getting there due to weather in May and had put a deposit on a liveaboard trip in PNG in December....until a couple of weeks ago when one of my horses (Jo Trouble you should be able to relate here - tempramental filly!) decided to have a major spak attack resulting in me severing a tendon and doing a fair bit of ligament damage meaning.....no travel for the rest of the year at least. I hadnt taken out any insurance for any of the bookings I had made as I usually do that and arrange the broader details (ie getting a plane to x country) seperately and hadnt paid for any flights other than one to Kota Kinabalu, that im not going to make because its in August and Im on crutches...its an Air Asia cheapy flight so I can just shrug that off as oh well stuff happens.......but has anyone else ever had an injury or something pop up and throw their travelling into total chaos..or a dead stop in my case. I certainly cant dive until I can bend my leg and I certainly cant climb in Bhutan so.....how do I stop sulking??
Reply to this This describes my worst nightmare, which has thankfully never become a reality. For the last 15 years, before most of my trips, I have been having nightmares about something stopping me going on my trip. I used to actually wake up crying and continue crying until my brian woke up enough to let me know it was a nightmare. I would still get up to check everything to make sure it wasnt true.
There is one blogger here on TravelBlog who even had her going away dinner out with her family, on the night before her trip, before she discovered she had to go to hospital for emergency surgury. I will post a link to her blog account, when I remember here name, if she does not post herself before that happens.
About the insurance: Claiming always seems more trouble than it is worth, in my opinion, so you might not be missing out on much. I am so cynical about it, that I even doubt insurance companies would pay out even nearly as much as you lost, which is why I never buy it for anything but medical.
.....how do I stop sulking??
Tough question! I dont think I would stop sulking, until next year when I could possibly go then, even if I would have to pay for it all over again.
Im on crutches...
They let people on planes, with crutches, dont they? Go on the trip. Maybe there is no diving, but cant you relax on the beach and take taxis everywhere?
The blogger who couldnt go on her trip last year because of the surgury is called Loraine, which I now remember, but dont know her nick name. I dont know if she ever got over the disappointment of the trip delay, but she did eventually get to go on the trip, months later.
Reply to this Thanks Mell and Stephanie 😊 It was good to read and I will do a lot more talking to my surgeons and doctors in the next couple of weeks to see what I will and wont be able to do and try and be realistic about the situation. Ive had a graft done on my tendon and ligaments have been stitched where they were sliced so Im still full of staples, but I am walking albeit in a bit of a hunchback of notre dam style...all i need is a long coat and a streetlight. I just cannot believe this has happened. I have really good surgeons and have severed tendons in my hand before so I do know the process takes time to get full movement back but im confident it will be fine.......im just really annoyed LOL.
I guess I am just going to have to travel vicariously via you lovely people here until the foot decides to do what the leg asks it. I really couldnt go anywhere near an ocean and not dive Mell, like the guy with the lung problem not being able to fly. Im not really good at sitting still type holidays - ive already written off the air asia flight but hey that was only really a couple of hundred dollars which isnt that much in the grander scheme of things. Changing it to a later date next year was going to cost almost as much as the ticket itself, that is assuming im able to travel then. From early research ive done i shouldnt have any trouble getting the diveboat liveaboard deposit back with if necessary a bit of help from consumer affairs. Its really just the annoyance of it all........I so wanted to conquer the Tigers Nest this year.
I shall sulk until I do...and read lots of travelblogs.
Still cant believe this has happened 😞
Reply to this Oh my goodness - I was wondering what you meant by celing gazing in a post on another thread! As disappointing as it is, at least it is not going to keep you away for travelling for years, but even a few months can seem an eternity at times.
If you need any suggestions re obtaining refunds or the like, please send me a private message as I might be able to give you a few pointers on how to approach these things.
Reply to this Most places will give you refunds if you can prove a real health issue.
Sulking for a bit is a healthy reaction to this injury. A shot of your favorite alcoholic beverage is in order.
I took a trip a couple of years ago about a month post-op and was on crutches. It went great! We got to get on the plane first, all the flight staff were so nice and friendly and I entertained the though of keeping the crutches for all further flights. Not knowing exactly which surgery you've had I can't comment on specifics but I'm with Mel. If your staples are out and the wound is healing without infection I would think you could go and enjoy yourself. As you say certainly not the trip you had imagined but..... a trip none the less. Or pick a different location that would be perfect for healing your injuries.
Let us know what you decide.
Reply to this Jo Trouble you should be able to relate here
Oh dear, you definitely have my sympathy on both the horse-related injury count and on missing out on the travel.
It certainly wouldn't hurt to try approaching them for a refund - the worst they can say is no, but you miss out for sure by not asking.
As much as it is frustrating to have to delay travel plans, the destinations will still be there when you've healed.
Reply to this Bloody Horses! Jo I was walking my troublesome filly into the racecourse and due to the most amount of rain we have had in 25 years being dumped in a day the horse entry was flooded so we went in via the service entry where she caught sight of herself in the window of the stands..unlike any normal horse who would shy and have a bit of a tizzy this idiot horse discovered she was not Black Caviar or Sunline but instead a short fat dumpy chestnut and decided to attack the ugly horse in the window.....trainer ended up with a broken pelvis and my leg went thru the window..and to make it worse she then ran headfirst into..the first aid post!.
D & M thats not a bad idea actually...when ive worked out with my surgeons what we will be doing next I may take a short trip up to the Northern Territory - because i cant dive there regardless of the state of my leg due to crocodiles. Im brave but prefer my water without crocs in it...they tend to unnerve me after having a little swim by with one in PNG.
I may actually be ok with the liveaboard as long as I reschedule with them next year from initial phone convo's with them - they do want a medical cert but have been a little more willing to help now ive spoken to the owner of the business.
I hadnt thought of the pluses D&M - boarding first sounds great!
I will be seeing the surgeon on monday so will have a bit more of an idea how we are going to manage this and what sort of time frame im looking at - medical advances are incredible arent they? When I severed my hand there were no such things as tendon grafts so I will try to be a bit optimistic and limit the sulking.
Stupid horse had better win her next start or im throwing rocks at her....(joking!)
Reply to this Stupid horse had better win her next start or im throwing rocks at her....(joking!)
This reminds me of a time, when I was mauled by some monkeys and bitten and clawed by them, in Thailand, so I had to have a bunch of rabbies shots when I got home. While biting and clawing me, the monkeys stole my bag of mangos. After they go the mangos they left me alone. One mango rolled away from them, so I picked it up and threw it at them in fury because I was p*ssed off that now I would have to have rabbies shots, because of them.
When I told friends and family this story, they kept interrupting to ask questions, that would determine just how stupid I had been to get myself in such a situation. They were only shocked and simpathetic, when I got to the part about throwing the mango at that poor dumb animal, who did now know it was harming me by ganging up on me with his band of friends.
Reply to this Cindy, I'm awfully sorry to hear about your accident and how it has affected your travel plans. I wouldn't usually offer up such information about myself, but I can relate to how you must be feeling at the moment, with your heart at the bottom of your belly... But without doubt, I know that if you keep your chin up and do everything you can to be healthy again, you'll soon be on your way!
In February I completed 12 months of teaching in S. Korea as a way of saving money for travel whilst travelling. The day before I was due to begin the 12 month around the world trip I went to the doctor who told me I had a fairly big cyst sat in my belly- and although I bargained with him ("Please can I just go to China? I'm sure surgery can wait until my Indian visa expires!), my trip was over before it begain.
I flew home to the UK to have surgery, and had to deal with all sorts of beaurocracy and waiting lists, everytime I spoke to a surgeon the procedure got bigger and bigger... And much to my families dismay the only questions I had to ask was "when will I be well enough to fly?".
I awoke from the sugery and felt like I'd been in a car crash, although the op. went far better than I could have asked for. Having been cut right across my belly I couldn't sit up, walk, shower etc. unaided. I was on the verge of cancelling all of my plans and often told by doctors that I wouldn't be able to even get out to Cambodia for work by August time.
Now I'm getting to my point... It's been about 13 weeks since my operation and I'm writing to you now from Malaysia on week 5 of my travels. A positive attitude will go a long way!! So in answer to your question "HOW DO I STOP SULKING?": feel down when you feel like it, you've earned the right to, but remember that the world isn't going anywhere!! And from personal experience, I think you'll appreciate it all the more when you finally get to Bhutan and Nepal.
~Best wishes and speedy recovery! Amy 😊
Reply to this Cindy,
I've thought about your situation a bit the past couple of days and I am so sorry your trip is changing but I have long believed that things happen for a reason and you end up where you need to be. I know that you had a good plan of where you wanted to go but the universe wants to send you in a new direction for whatever reason.
When you visit your physician I would have him outline exactly what your restrictions are and pick the location to fit that criteria. Think outside the box on this one. I'd make a list of the things he says you should not do and make a list of things that means you can do and take a look at the world atlas. There is a country calling your name!
Can't wait to hear what you end up doing.
From what I know about you I do not think you will let this defeat you.
Reply to this Thank you Amy and wow, keep up with your amazing recovery - you rock!! thanks for sharing that. I know in myself im not up to ..shall we say my usual style of mischeivous and adventurous travel..and Id hate to wreck things by going anyway out of stubborness and not being able to climb that tigers nest or dive. My doctor is a pretty cool guy - once does a lot of travelling for medicine sans frontiers - so I think he will be realistic and I just have to accept that..but I think you're right D&M, theres somewhere I can go - somewhere flat without an ocean - lol Sudan!
I am thinking up into Central Northern Territory because its been a long time since ive been there and I have a lot of friends living up there to take care of me 😉...and show me around in their helicopters. Be nice to see Kakadu again, and if a croc decides to chew on me, I shall throw a mango at him 😉
And Mell, LMAO @ Throwing mangos at monkeys who attack. I have had this absolute war going on with monkeys for 30 years since one attacked me and pooped in my backpack while his mates robbed me of every possession I had leaving me covered in monkey crap, scratches, bruises and in a sarong. Never ever trust monkeys. Its ok to throw mangos at them.
Thanks again..im using this time to plan more adventures properly for my long service leave..to africa and particularly madagascar to meet lemurs who are old world primates so they may be ok. And I cant leave because I just found out the dog is pregnant again!! Guess I know what they got up to on their holiday down at the farm.
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Would have loved to see a video of your monkey attack. So sorry you had that experience but it sounds hysterical....if you are not the one being attacked.
Geez Cindy......you need to take your dog to the vet. She's a horny one isn't she.
Reply to this And I cant leave because I just found out the dog is pregnant again!!
But, she was just pregnant a couple of months ago. Is this the same pregnancy, or do you have a pack of dogs busy keeping the dog population rising in Australia?
Reply to this Ahh er yes, she is GOING to the vet as soon as she has delivered this lot...my male actually has a mistress, the beautiful Ruby who survived the fires who is owned by friends who lost their home and three dogs in the fires that burnt down 72 homes. We got back from Thailand with an urgent request for our male Lennox (Lewis, hes a boxer) to come up for a hot date with Ruby, which he did. We knew Ruby was pregnant. Which is the litter I posted about sitting watching dogs mating.....
And then....
Thai (because she is a boxer) my bitch obviously disapproved terribly of this business of Lennox staying out for a whole week with Ruby was not only miffed about the whole business but came into season as soon as he got home...they spent the weekend down at a friends farm when I thought the little troll was well past the fertile stage after much effort to keep them seperated....and noticed the other day that ...SHES BLOODY PREGNANT AGAIN!~
So, yes, im populating perth western australia with lovely boxer puppies....Ruby's are due on the 22nd and Thai's are due ..sometime in about three weeks by the look of her.
Lennox just thinks hes the biggest stud at the moment.
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